Stabilization of 1,1,1-trichloroethane



United States Patent Ofiice 3,546,305 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 US. Cl. 260-6525 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The reaction of 1,1,1-trichloroethane with aluminum is inhibited by the presence in the 1,1,1-trichloroethane of a small amount of a dissolved diketone compound. Concentrations of the order of 0.005-1 gram mole per liter provide significant inhibition.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a division of our copending application Ser. No. 687,123, filed Dec. 1, 1967 now US. Patent 3,486,966.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the stabilization of chlorinated solvents. More particularly, the present invention concerns the stabilization of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in the presence of metallic aluminum.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene are commonly used as solvents in chemical processes, dry cleaning, and metal degreasing. Solvents of this type are subject to slow decomposition and oxidation reactions, particularly in the presence of impurities such as water, traces of acid or metal salts. Corrosion of metal surfaces in containers and process equipment and deterioration of solvent quality by formation of acidic and colored byproducts thereby become serious problems. Inhibitors such as acid scavengers and antioxidants are commonly added to these solvents in order to prevent such degradative reactions. Inhibitor concentrations are normally of the order of one percent by weight or less.

1,1,1-trichloroethane poses a particularly difficult stabilization problem because of its unusual reactivity with certain metals, notably aluminum. Traces of metal salts, moisture, or other impurities are not needed to initiate the 1,l,1-trichloroethane-aluminurn reaction, for this reaction occurs spontaneously on a freshly exposed aluminum surface with spectacular results, converting the solvent and the metal surface in a few minutes to a blackened mass of acidic, carbonaceous material and aluminum salts. Conventional acid acceptor stabilizers cannot be depended upon to inhibit the aluminum-1,1,1-trichloroethane reaction and suitable inhibitors must be discovered by independent investigation. The search has yielded few elfective compounds and the show little or no obvious pattern of structure. Typical 1,1,1-trichloroethane formulations contain about five percent by weight of inhibitor which is usually a combination of compounds to inhibit reaction of the solvent with a variety of metals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has now been found that the l,1,l-trichloroethanealuminum reaction can be substantially retarded or prevented by incorporating into the 1,1,1-trichloroethane an inhibiting amount of certain aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, and aromatic diketones of 1,2- and 1,4- configuration. Active inhibitors of this group are 2,3-butanedione, 2,5-hexanedione, 1,2-cyclohexandione, 1,4-cyclohexandione, and pbenzoquinone. Such compounds may be used alone or in any combination with each other or with other nonreactive conventional inhibitors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Only a quantity of diketone compound sufiicient to retard or to stop the reaction of aluminum and 1,1,1-trichloroethane need be used. Although any significant amount will provide some inhibition, preferably about 0.0051 gram mole per liter of 1,1,1-trichloroethane is employed and about 0.010.1 gram mole is usually most preferred.

Diketone compounds as defined by the general formula set forth above were tested for inhibiting activity in elongated glass test tubes having an inside diameter of 0.8 cm. and 33 cm. in length. To each vertically disposed tube there was added 0.54 g. of essentially pure 1632 mesh granular aluminum and a solution of the inhibitor in purified 1,1,l-trichloroethane to make a total volume of test mixture of 5 ml. The closed ends of the test tubes were then immersed in an oil bath held at a temperature sufiicient to maintain the 1,1,1-trichloroethane solution in each tube at a steady reflux. The results listed in the following examples indicate the minimum concentration of the inhibitor found effective to provide complete inhibition of the 1,1,ltrichloroethane-aluminum reaction for 24 hours under these conditions. Prevention of the reaction for this length of time under the described conditions indicates capacity for effective inhibition for an indefinite period. Concentrations are given in gram moles per liter, this figure being convertible to weight per cent by the equation.

(moles/liter)-(mol. wt. of inhibitor) For example, a concentration of 0.10 g. mole per liter of an inhibitor of molecular weight 134.6 is equal to 1.0 weight percent of that inhibitor.

wt. percent Efiective Concentratlon Compound name Exainple No.:

4-eyelohexanedione Z-cyclohcxanedione.

5-hexanedione 0. 02 4 2,3-butanedione 0. 05 5 p-B enz oquinone 0. 03

3 4 We claim: 2,517,895 8/1950 Larcher 260-652.5 1. 1,1,1-trichloroethane inhibited against reaction with 2,944,088 7/1960 Kauder 260-6525 aluminum by having dissolved therein a small but inhibit- 2,973,392 2/ 1961 Graham 260-6525 ing amount 2,3-butanedione. 3,335,093 8/1967 Gilbert et a1 252170 2. The 1,1,1-trichloroethane composition of claim 1 5 wherein the 2,3-butanedione is present in a concentration FOREIGN PATENTS of (1005-1 gram mole p liter- 825,853 12/1959 Great Britain 260-652.5

R ferences Primary EXa UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 US Cl XR 2,302,362 11/1942 Nelles et a1. 260652.5UX 252 170 364 407 2,376,075 5/1945 Morris et a1. 260652.5 

